That's Why
by Fotogenico
Summary: It's five AM, and Maddie is shaken up by a nightmare that leaves her feeling rather... insecure. It's up to Elke to make her feel better. fem!Canada/fem!Netherlands, written for a fic-trade.


**A/N: Written for a fic-trade with AkaYuki2106. She's a really good writer, if you haven't read her stories yet, you're missing out. Anyway, at first, I really just wanted to write this to the song "I Love You" by Avril Lavigne but then I still felt a little bit empty writing it so it felt more half-assed. Then I ended up listening to the song "Hello/How Are You" by Hatsune Miku and was cured~ ...I hope this is what you wanted, girl :'| I could re-write another story if you're unhappy with this one.**

**Also I've never written Netherlands. Ever. Let alone his fem!self. Pardon me if he/she's not in character D:**

**Human AU, fem!Canada/fem!Netherlands, fluff with a teensy bit of hurt/comfort.**

**Song Inspirations: I Love You - Avril Lavigne, Mocha / Hello, How Are You? - Hatsune Miku.**

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><p>It was five in the morning. The sun wasn't up yet, and the weather was still rather chilly, but maybe that was just because the windows were wide open. It was so early, that there'd been hardly any noise outside, but the quiet pitter-patter of rain on the roof, creating a sort of rhythm, a melody, a lullaby, perfect sleep-weather, especially when you're under the warm covers with your lover's arms wrapped tightly around you. Yes, perfect sleep weather indeed.<p>

So, why was Madeline awake?

The Canadian girl shifted a little, turning to lie on her back as she stared up at the not-so-interesting ceiling, moving as slowly as possible as to not wake up the girl lying next to her. She actually knew the reason for why she woke up at such a ridiculous time in the morning, although she was a little embarrassed to admit it herself.

She'd had a nightmare.

There had been no monsters, no murders, no zombies or demons or witches or vampires or haunted houses or... any of it, really. No, she didn't get the kind of nightmares her darling step-sister did. Her nightmare was far more terrifying. She'd been standing with her girlfriend, Elke, in an empty room. Elke was in her school uniform, and had a tulip in hand. They were both silent, there seemed to be no noise in the empty room, and the silence rung in Madeline's ears like a thousand gongs. And then Elke looked at Maddie in the eyes, and slowly mouthed out the words, "_I hate everything about you._", and then turned around and promptly left the room, simply vanishing into thin air, the tulip on the floor. And Madison just stood there in shock.

That was really all there was to the dream, yet, Maddie woke up with blurred eyes filled with unshed tears. And then she was kept up, with the same thought running through her head as if on repeat. _Why does she stay with me anyway?..._

Okay, so maybe Maddie was a liiiittle insecure about a lot of things, especially when it came to her relationships with people. But who could blame her? She spent a good part of her life being ignored by most, so when she actually started gaining friends, and eventually, a lover, she began to grow just a teensy bit paranoid. What if they left her? What if she did something wrong and they started to ignore her? What if _Elke_ started to ignore her? Madeline bit her lip at the thought.

Glancing to her right, she was greeted by the face of the same person who was in her little nightmare. Elke. _Elke. _The girl who transferred to her highschool from Netherlands, the girl who became friends with Maddie at first glance. The girl who was friendly and liked to talk to Maddie and discuss about all topics, ranging all the way from the weather to how bouncy and energetic their step-sisters were. The girl who had given Madeline a tulip for Valentine's Day when she got none, the girl who confessed and kissed her in the middle of a leaf-pile during autumn. The girl Madeline loved with all her heart, and was now hoping that she felt the same.

As she stared at her, Madeline didn't even need her glasses to make out that _yes, _Elke was _beautiful._ Gorgeous, deep emerald pools hidden behind closed eyelids, soft lips slightly parted in her slumber. Her skin was creamy and smooth, and Madeline had always wondered where that small scar just above her left eyebrow came from. Silky, dirty blonde hair splayed all over the pristine white pillow, messy and a little tangled but beautiful all the same, her blue-and-white striped shirt collar parting slightly to give a view of her smooth collarbone, her chest rising and falling with every breath, her arms warm as they were wrapped around Maddie.

She was beautiful, she was so kind and gentle and sweet. What did Madeline do to deserve her? She was so trusting and patient with Maddie, who was always nervous or shy and always ended up panicking when surprised. (_Why, on their first date, when Elke gently tried to take Maddie's hand, the Canadian panicked, swung her fist and ended up breaking Elke's nose. Elke just laughed it off when it was patched up, Maddie was apologising faster than the Vargas brothers could drive._) Madeline was shaken from her thoughts when she felt a tear or two fall from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, and hurriedly took her hand up to wipe them off.

"...Hrnnhh... M..Maddie? Whas' wron'..?" Elke mumbled, still groggy from sleep, emerald eyes glancing up at her girlfriend.

Madeline hurriedly shook her head. "N-Nothing! I, I'm sorry, I woke you up..." Maddie stuttered. "Go back to sleep..."

Elke shook her head _no_, and unwrapped her arms from Madeline (who felt strangely colder than before), propping herself up on her side with her elbow, and raked some hair out of her face with her other hand, all the while staring at Madeline with a look of concern, though lightly misted over with sleepiness.

"What happened, Maddie?" Elke asked gently.

"N-Nothing... Just, just remembering our first date, that's all.." Maddie said, forcing a weak laugh.

"Maddie, I told you, it's fine. You panicked and broke my nose, it's no big deal. And it makes the first date more memorable, right?" Elke chuckled, before flashing a smile of concern. "No, it's something else. I can tell when you're lying, so, just, please...?" Elke asked again, and Madeline could never say no to that look before and it looked like she wasn't about to start anytime soon. She sighed, and then looked up at her Dutch lover with wide, soft violet eyes, moist with tears.

"_Why do you love me?_" Madeline asked, her tone both pleading and guilty.

Elke blinked once, twice, in disbelief, and somehow hoped that the fog of sleep was messing with her hearing. "What?"

Madeline casted her eyes downwards, looking more than just a little upset. "I, I'm sorry, it was just a bad dream and it got me thinking, tha- that's al- Oof!"

Madeline was cut off by the feeling of two arms wrap around her and soft lips to her forehead. She squeaked, her cheeks dusted with pink, and it was only thanks to her many months of dating Elke and being friends with Francis that she didn't bring her knee up to give her girlfriend a knee to the gut in sheer surprise. She mentally applauded herself for that, but that wasn't in focus for too long, because Elke moved away from her forehead to loom above Maddie, deep emerald orbs meeting soft violet ones.

"I love you, because _I love you._"

Madeline's eyes widened.

"I love you because you're you, and everything about you. Your hair, your eyes, your mouth, your blush, your skin..." Elke said, slowly tracing her hand down Maddie's features, stroking the Canadian's soft, wavy, golden hair. "The way you concentrate when you draw and you let your fingers guide the pencil on a waltz across the paper. The way you make pancakes and hot chocolate with maple syrup. The way you jolt when you're surprised, the way you can show the world you have a mean right hook everytime Francis tries to grope you, the way you squeak when you're flustered, the way you kiss me and make me feel like the world is at peace..."

Madeline felt her cheeks heat up even more when two soft lips met hers, briefly, before pulling away slowly. Maddie could feel the love in Elke's eyes and smile, and the gentleness in the way she stroked her hair. Elke lowered herself down on Maddie, hugging her, burying her face in the crook of Maddie's neck.

"If I were given a thousand years of time, and I were to spend every passing second with reasons to why I love you, I'd run out of time before I'd finish." Elke murmured, sending warm vibrations up her lover's neck. "I love you for everything you are, with all of my heart. So... believe me... okay?"

Madeline nodded slowly, as she felt one more tear go down her cheek. But her lips were curved into a small smile this time, a smile that said _thank you_, and gave her girlfriend a kiss on the back of her head that said_ I love you._ Because now Maddie knows, knows that she doesn't have to worry anymore, because she has someone who loves her unconditionally, someone who's kind and gentle and sweet and patient and loves Maddie for who she is and everything about her and will continue to for a long time.

And with those thoughts echoing pleasantly within her head, she wrapped her arms around her Dutch girlfriend, who was already fast asleep on her shoulder, and let those gentle and comforting words echo in her ears like a lullaby as she went back to the sweet oblivion of sleep.


End file.
